A man casts his vote at a polling station in Caracas on election day on October 7, 2012. Venezuelans.(AFP Photo / Leo Ramirez) / AFP

The US is prying into Venezuelan internal affairs and is likely to call the country’s April 14 election illegitimate if it doesn’t go their way, political expert Francisco Dominguez told RT.

The head of Latin American Studies at Middlesex University in
London believes other Latin American countries would not support
American interference.

RT:What kind of a campaign is this going to be - will
everyone play fair?

Dr Francisco Dominguez: I think it’s going to be quite
intense but very short. The calendar is from the second until the
12th [of April]. And then 13th and, if nothing happens – 14th.
Everybody will try to cover absolutely everything and it’s going to
have clear distinction of political messages by the two
candidates.

RT:Opposition leader Henrique Caprilles has already
called the swearing-in of the acting president 'unconstitutional'.
Does this have any sway over the electorate?

FD: The article 233 of the Constitution totally justifies
what’s been done. It’s not only being vindicated in terms of the
constitution itself, but also it’s been supported, and endorsed by
the Supreme Court. There is no issue with that really.

RT:There are quite large shoes to fill - are any of the
two main candidates on offer able to do that?

FD: I don’t think it’s possible to actually stay in the
shoes of Chavez in the way he was. Venezuela without Chavez is not
the same as Venezuela with Chavez. However, Nicolas Maduro
demonstrates himself as a formidable communicator. He has his own
person, he is able to use symbolic language, he enthuses the masses
very well, he conveys a very good message, he is very acute
politically. I think he is doing very well. That’s why he is
leading in the polls.

RT:How much momentum has acting-leader Maduro gained on
the wave of nationwide grief for Hugo Chavez?

FD: I am sure there is a little sentiment about it. Chavez
was a figure of hatred in the international media. Now the
population of Venezuela realize how much he was loved. It was two
million actually that came out into the streets to give him a
farewell. I think possibly it was the biggest demonstration in the
history of the country. And any candidate would be foolish not to
use it. However, the key point is the message Maduro is saying to
them: do you want the continuation of what you had with him for 14
years, Improving it, perfecting it? Or do you want to get back to
the fourth republic, which Capriles represents? The message in that
sense is clear. That’s why Maduro is leading between 10 and 14 per
cent in the polls.

RT:Chavez was also an important figure for the whole
region - how will Latin America cope without him? Will his
anti-U.S. legacy live on?

FD: Roberta Jacobson, the Assistant US Secretary of
Hemispheric Affairs made a statement the other day saying she found
it a little bit difficult that there will be fair elections in
Venezuela, which is a very clear interference in internal affairs
of a sovereign country. Jimmy Carter through of the Carter Center
repeated several times that Venezuela had the best electoral system
in the world. So, to indicate it by somebody senior in the US
administration is encouraging the opposition not to recognize the
elections. In that sense, for as long as the US remains interfering
in the internal affairs of Venezuela, there could be no base
between the two of them. Before Roberta Jacobson made that
statement Elías José Jaua, former Venezuelan Vice President, and
senior people in the US administration were talking about
normalizing relations which unfortunately stopped because of their
interference. So, there is a possibility, but it depends very
heavily on the Obama administration.

RT:The U.S. has been fighting to boost its influence in
Latin America, but what does it have to offer?

FD: I think that Latin American countries are going to
heavily support non-interference and most of the governments in
Latin America identify with Maduro. Incidentally although Caprilles
tries to present himself as a follower of [Luiz Inácio] Lula. Lula
yesterday made a statement that he supports Nicolas Maduro as his
candidate, so in that sense the Latin American countries are going
to ensure through their own delegations that there is no
interference and the process of elections in Venezuela is proper
and as it should be.

[Latin American countries] have a lot of mechanisms of reaching the
integration. I think the assertiveness regarding their sovereignty
and collective independence is incredible. They have established
the Union of South American nations, they have established the
Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, which excludes
the US and they're orienting themselves towards anybody who wants
to do business with them without any preconditions. A great deal of
that is with China but they are prepared to talk to anyone else and
it seems to me that they are strong enough and feel strong enough
to prevent any traditional interferences particularly by the US in
the internal affairs of Latin American countries, which took place
in the 20th century, and which I think are becoming more and more
difficult in this century.